Did you really think that today’s news cycle for the Milwaukee Admirals would be complete without some sort of roster activity? Of course not. The Nashville Predators have just assigned forwards Gabriel Bourque and Eric Nystrom to the Admirals under long-term injury loan conditions which specify that their loan duration cannot exceed up to either six-days time or three-games. All you need to do is look at the Admirals schedule to know that this weekend is a three-in-three which should fulfill that loan process.

Nashville, Tenn. (March 16, 2016) – Nashville Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile announced Wednesday that the club has assigned forwards Gabriel Bourque and Eric Nystrom to Milwaukee (AHL) on Long-Term Injury Loans. Both are expected to suit up for the Admirals this weekend when they host Charlotte (Friday and Saturday) and travel to Chicago (Sunday).

Bourque, 25 (9/23/90), has missed the Predators last 48 games after leaving the team’s Nov. 27 game at Philadelphia with an upper-body injury. In 22 NHL games in 2015-16, the Rimouski, Quebec, native has four points (1g-3a). Nashville’s ninth choice, 132nd overall (fifth round), in the 2009 Entry Draft, Bourque appeared in two games for the Admirals during a conditioning assignment last month, and has 64 points (27g-37a) in 120 career AHL games.

Nystrom, 33 (2/14/83), has missed Nashville’s last 21 games with a broken foot sustained on Jan. 26 at Vancouver. In 40 games for the Predators this season, the 6-1, 200-pound winger has seven goals/points. The Syosset, New York, native last appeared in the AHL with Houston in 2011-12, and has 42 points (21g-21a) in 109 career AHL contests.

The Nashville Predators return home from a five-game road trip tomorrow night, Thursday, March 17, when they face-off against the New York Islanders (7 p.m. on FOX Sports Tennessee; 102.5 The Game). The game will coincide with St. Patrick’s Day, where players will be wearing specialized jerseys during warmups which will be auctioned off that night. During the game, fans will also have the opportunity to purchase a commemorative St. Patrick’s Day Mystery Puck. For a $20 donation to the Nashville Predators Foundation, fans will be able to select a wrapped, themed puck autographed by a Predators player. Four lucky fans will win a special, additional prize. For tickets to the game, fans can visit NashvillePredators.com or call 615-770-7800.

This will be the second time this season in which Bourque will be handling one of these long-term injury loans in Milwaukee. He played only two out of three games of his loan condition before being recalled by the Predators in mid-February. Those both were unfortunately regulation losses for Admirals and Bourque didn’t register a point of offense – although he was far more lively in the second game of his loan.

If you thought Cody Bass was happy when Corey Potter joined the team to take the mantle as the oldest player on the roster then imagine how happy Potter can feel for just this weekend when Nystrom shows up. The 33-year old last played in the AHL during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Houston Aeros. That season he only played in a single game. You need to crawl back to 2007-08 when he logged more games in the AHL, with the Quad City Flames, and back to 2005-06 with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights when he played a full season in the AHL.

No doubt that this beefs up the Admirals roster for the weekend when they’ll be taking on the Charlotte Checkers at home on Friday and Saturday before hitting I-94 and playing on the road against the Chicago Wolves on Sunday. Should Cody Hodgson return to fitness I believe the Admirals forward group should be more than capable of matching up with a Checkers team than really pushed the Rockford IceHogs their last three-games.